Got Goals?

I have a confession to make. I am addicted to my bullet journal. If you don't know what a bullet journal is, go see it at www.bulletjournal.com. There are tons of layouts for bullet journals on Pinterest but honestly, mine isn't pretty, I don't have that kind of time, mine is a little bit of heaven as far as organization and goal- setting, but pretty, it is not.


I have been also slightly obsessed with goal-setting lately as well. Yesterday I spent an entire day in a training centered around goal-setting. This was a training meant to teach us how to help our clients set goals in their lives but I think we all realized we have to be able to set good goals for ourselves before we can effectively help others. It definitely fed the fire. And once again, God was preparing me before I ever left home.


I just finished Leviticus yesterday, a book that basically is God saying do this, don't do that. I spent most of my time reading thinking, man I am glad we no longer live under the law and are under God's grace, thanks to Christ's sacrifice. God gave a lot of orders, and the Israelites were supposed to obey. That should have been everyone's first priority, their goal. They weren't very good at it. We aren't either.


Why are goals so hard to follow? We set goals to be a better person, friend, brother, sister, parent, community member, church member; making something better is normally the reason to have a goal.


And there always seem to be areas of our lives that are just much easier to follow goals in than others. I can put myself on a money diet and do great at it, but eating healthy isn't my forte, even though I feel better when I do.


I have heard, and even said myself, "We make plans, God laughs" but in all honestly, I think God expects us to set goals, we should always ask for His guidance and work at making sure our plans are His plan, but I don't think He just expects us all to wonder around aimlessly.


I only have one verse today, from my beloved Philippians. Chapter 3 , verse 14.


I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.


Mark here is no doubt the same word as goal. I have set my goal to do every thing God has called me to do to further the cause of Christ. Do I fail miserably, yep, do I write it down to do better the next day, of course. Do I probably do better because I have it down and am at least TRYING? I think so.


So, I thought today, if you were not quite as into setting goals as I am I will share something I learned yesterday that really stuck and makes setting goals a bit easier.


You need SMART goals


Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Sensitive.


My dear bullet journal has a set of goals that I want done by the end of the year, some are big, some not so much, all are important to me. Each month, I put down a smaller goal that helps reach the bigger one, and each week, as I lay out my week, I make sure to incorporate those things in there. I have deadlines, and sometimes they have to be pushed back, but the thing is, I keep going, I keep pressing on.


I stated that God prepared me for today before I ever left, yes, I finished Leviticus but I also read a devotional from Casting Crowns. The devotionals from Casting Crowns are always around one of their songs. This one? The Very Next Thing.


I HAVE to share some of the words...

I spend all my time
Dreaming what the future's gonna bring
When all of this time
There's a world passing by right in front of me
Set my sights on tomorrow
While I'm tripping over today

Who says big things
Are somewhere off in the distance
I don't want to look back
Just to see all the times that I missed it
I want to be here and now
Starting right here, right now

That means we need to make it a goal to be ready. Dreaming what tomorrow is going to be like is meaningless if we don't know how to get from point A to point B.

I always remember that old adage: failure to plan is a plan to fail.

I want to be ready when God puts me on the playing field,

Hope you have a wonderful Saturday and go and set yourself some SMART goals, and maybe one of those would be to step out of your comfort zone and share the Love of Christ with the very next person you see.

Of course, you get to hear The Very Next Thing.